


Picture Perfect

by sondeneige



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Alternate Universe - Photographer, Body Shaming, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hidekane Week, Hidekane Week 2018, Human AU, M/M, Model Hide, Photographer Kaneki, day 1 - partners in crime, mentions of enforced unhealthy eating habits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-11 00:52:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15303840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sondeneige/pseuds/sondeneige
Summary: If Kaneki had ever before had doubts about whether he is bisexual and truly into men those went out the window the second he saw Nagachika that morning.---It is a struggle when you're trying to be a professional photographer and your model is as attractive as Hideyoshi Nagachika, and it certainly doesn't help when said model keeps making eyes at you from in front of the camera.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a part of Hidekane Week and will have two chapters, the second will be out for Day 6 of Hidekane Week :). This chapter is under the prompt "Partners in Crime" which... sorta fits. The warnings/tags will be more applicable to Chapter 2.  
> \---  
> Would like to thank [Midori](https://archiveofourown.org/users/midoriverte/pseuds/midoriverte) as always for all of her help! <3

“Yes good Nagachika! Okay let’s get a few of you sitting now.”

Kaneki adjusts his shot for the model’s new pose as called out by the director, taking his camera off of the tripod and crouching down to below eye-level to give the model an appearance of power. As he settles into position he looks up, directly into piercing green eyes. 

The flush into Kaneki’s cheeks is immediate and he snaps his eyes away from the model and down to his camera, ensuring his settings are correct (unnecessary, as everything is already set properly). To hide his receding blush Kaneki brings his camera back up to his face and waits for the model to settle into the new pose as instructed. 

Kaneki tries to focus on the flow of the shoot, but can’t shake the feeling that the stares the model are giving the camera aren’t so much for the shot as for Kaneki himself. 

After the director calls a wrap Kaneki starts packing up his camera bag but is unable to resist glancing back towards Nagachika. Only years of habit keeps his camera in his hands as he jumps at finding the model looking back at him as he is led out of the room. 

Kaneki doesn’t work with Nagachika for another nine days (not that Kaneki was counting). Nagachika looks around as he enters the shooting space and catches Kaneki’s eye, smiling warmly. Kaneki feels his face heating up. Nagachika is quickly led off into the side dressing room to get into clothes and makeup for the shoot, saving Kaneki from wondering if he should say anything. 

Kaneki focuses harder than necessary on setting up his camera equipment for the day to ignore the fact that he had never felt the desire to socialise with the models before. 

Some time later Kaneki is fully set up as Nagachika comes out of the dressing room. 

If Kaneki had ever before had doubts about whether he is bisexual and truly into men those went out the window the second he saw Nagachika that morning. 

The clothes for the shoot that morning are a pair of tightly fitted jeans and an almost sheer and not at all buttoned shirt. It sits open, revealing Nagachika’s flat, toned chest and stomach. 

Kaneki heavily clears his throat. Making Nagachika glance over at him. Kaneki bites the inside of his cheek and averts his eyes, moving back to his main camera for the day but trying not to make it obvious how much he is rushing to hide there. 

Everyone in the room moves to their places under the director’s orders. Nagachika stretches before shifting into his first pose. Kaneki’s grip tightens on his camera involuntarily as Nagachika’s muscles shift with his stretching. Never since he had first started photography has Kaneki paid such close attention to his camera’s settings as he is now in a desperate attempt to not stare. 

At least once the shoot starts Kaneki is able to focus his attention on what he is doing technically rather than who is in front of him, mostly. Honestly, Kaneki is kind of proud of himself for managing to get through the shoot without getting too distracted by the sight in front of him. He doesn’t understand, he has worked with so many attractive models over the years, something about Nagachika is just getting to him. Maybe it is the blond hair? No there had been that girl a few months back with blonde hair, and she’d been pretty of course but nothing like… 

He glances over the top of his camera, Nagachika sees him looking and quirks an eyebrow. Then winks. Kaneki can actually feel the heat physically rising through his face. Kaneki wants nothing more than to look away, do anything to hide his blush which is probably blatantly obvious at this point but he can’t bring himself to move. 

“Nagachika,” the director’s voice cuts through, “over here please. You should be on camera one right now.” 

“Right yeah,” Nagachika replies lazily, dragging his eyes away from Kaneki, who is decidedly not camera one. 

The rest of the shoot passes without incident, Kaneki manages to keep his cool, Nagachika doesn’t  _ wink _ again. As the model is being ushered out of the room Kaneki notices him glancing back at him again. A soft smile on Nagachika’s lips and one hand raised in as much of a wave as he can get in before he is pushed out the door. 

Kaneki has no idea what is going on, but he certainly doesn’t object. 

~ ~ ~ 

A few days later Kaneki gets word that he has been signed on to shoot a whole new line of clothes which are being released. He sighs, projects like this are either really great because what the director wants is interesting and lines up with what and how you like to shoot, or terribly boring and difficult because what the director wants is very different to how you shoot but then you’re locked in for an extended period of time. 

Kaneki walks onto set the first morning of the shoot and nearly trips over a clearly marked wire when he spots a certain blond model chatting with some other models. Kaneki couldn’t decide whether it is a curse or a blessing that Nagachika was here. But either way is very glad that the shoot is for a line of casual wear which would hopefully mean that Nagachika would keep his shirt on. 

The shoot begins well, everyone performing well. The first line up includes every model and photographer and displays all the whole line of clothing. Partway through the shoot they have to take a break for the set to be changed over for the next set of shots. Kaneki checks over his lenses, considering whether he wants to switch over for the next set of shots when he hears someone clearing their throat behind him. 

He turns to find Nagachika entirely too close… no longer a safe camera distance away. 

“Hi there!” Nagachika says cheerily, “I thought I would come over and introduce myself because we seem to keep ending up working together.” 

Kaneki makes a weak noise in his throat, which he had attempted to be an agreement but hadn’t quite got there. He clears his throat then nods, “I’m Kaneki.”

Nagachika’s smile is blinding up close, “Nice to meet you Kaneki! I’m Hide.” 

“Oh, not Nagachika?” Kaneki’s cheeks start warming in embarrassment, he hadn’t meant to say that out loud. 

Nagachika, no  _ Hide, _ chuckles, “Well yeah, Hideyoshi Nagachika, but I prefer Hide.” 

Kaneki nods his understanding, and is just trying to find something to say next when they both hear the call that the set is finished. 

Hide sighs, “Guess we gotta go actually work, talk more later.” He waves as he heads back to his position. 

Kaneki takes a deep breath in.  _ Talk more later. _

Over the course of the shoot Kaneki keeps finding Hide in front of his camera, not that he objects. The director seems to like whatever Kaneki was drawing out of Hide, and to approve of the pictures Kaneki is getting. She even pulled Kaneki aside one afternoon to commend him on the shots. 

Kaneki is glad his work is being recognized, but is confused as he isn’t doing anything different than he usually would. 

~ ~ ~ 

Kaneki is standing in the break room just pouring his second coffee of the morning into his mug when an intern comes barreling in. 

“Kaneki Ken?!” the intern calls out in distress. 

Everyone turns to look at Kaneki, who weakly responds, “Yeah?”

“Are you available today for a shoot? Our photographer didn’t show up and everyone is freaking out and I was told to come find you!”

The looks everyone is giving him increase in interest. Kaneki is just another low level photographer among many contracted to this agency, why are they specifically requesting him?

“Yeah, yes, I’m available.”

“Perfect,” the intern sighs in relief, “Thank you. Can you come with me?” 

The intern turns and starts leading the way and Kaneki mechanically follows him to a studio, his mug of coffee still in his hand. 

When they enter a woman he’s never seen before approaches him, “Ah! You must be Kaneki Ken, thank you for coming over on such short notice.” 

Kaneki nods silently, still entirely unsure of what is going on. 

The woman, Kaneki assumes it is the director, continues, “We’re doing a special shoot, just one photographer, and we’ve had it planned for weeks but our photographer called in today with a family emergency and can’t come in. We had no idea who to call in but then our model recommended you! I hadn’t heard your name before but I trust him and he says he works well with you so it sounds perfect to me. You up for a challenge?”

Kaneki wasn’t sure if he had ever been more freaked out before in his life, but in his panic he looked frantically around the room and a splash of light caught his eye. 

Blond hair. As Kaneki gaze locks on him, Hide turns around and his whole face lights up, and then he winks. 

“Yeah,” Kaneki says, looking back at the director, “yeah I am.”

The shoot runs for a week and is probably the most creatively fulfilling of Kaneki’s career, the director actually asks for Kaneki’s input at times on how best to shoot things, what will work well in various situations. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that Kaneki got to work with Hide the whole time. 

On practically every break Hide comes over to Kaneki and strikes up a conversation, seemingly not minding how awkward Kaneki is. At first they talk about work stuff, photography and modelling topics. Hide even asks Kaneki about his camera and seems genuinely interested, though terribly confused. But soon they’re talking about as many other topics as they can squeeze into the quick five minutes breaks they get. 

On one of their longer breaks Hide approaches Kaneki, “Hey,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.

Kaneki smiles, “Hey,” wondering why Hide looks nervous. 

“I was just wondering if you wanted to, meet up sometime? Grab lunch maybe? Or just coffee? Whatever you’re comfortable with.” Hide laughs awkwardly. 

Hide wants to hang out with him outside of work? Kaneki can count on one hand the number of work friends he has, the number of friends he has if he’s being honest, and they don’t get together very often.

“Yeah sure. I’d like that.”

Hide’s smile gets so big, “Awesome! Um I don’t have my phone on me but I can give you my number and you can text me your name and we can work out a time?”

“Sure, that works,” Kaneki ponders how Hide invested is in this meetup, but is glad because he knows if it was up to him to plan it it would probably never happen. 

Kaneki hands over his phone to Hide for him to input his number, when he gets it back he sees that Hide has also texted himself “It’s Kaneki!!!” 

They both turn their heads at the call that the shoot is restarting, and Hide says, “I’ll message you tonight to find a time that works.” 

Kaneki nods to Hide’s receding back. 

The appointed day when Hide and Kaneki are getting lunch together arrives and Kaneki is embarrassed to admit how long he spent in front of his closet picking out clothes, he tries to tell himself,  _ It’s just a lunch with a friend Kaneki, relax. _ It still took him too long, he’s glad he always starts getting ready too early. 

He gets to the coffee shop Hide had picked out five minutes early, Hide arrives fifteen minutes after that. 

“Shit, sorry I’m late! I would say it won’t happen again but that would probably be a lie,” Hide says in a slightly out of breath rush. 

“It’s okay Hide,” Kaneki says.

Hide finally looks at Kaneki properly, and blinks, “Oh, you look really good.”

“I do?”

“Yeah you do,” Hide looks Kaneki up and down and nods approvingly. 

Kaneki can feel himself blushing, and flounders to take the attention off himself, “Do we want to head inside?”

“Sure,” Hide says warmly. 

Once inside they order their respective drinks they find comfortable chairs by the front window to sit in. They sit for a long time, long enough to both need refills. They talk about everything and anything, at first talking about work but soon talking about more personal and diverse topics. Kaneki doesn’t think he has ever connected so deeply with a person over the course of one conversation. He doesn’t feel the need to escape even once. It really isn’t helping the crush on Hide he is harbouring. 

But at last it is time for them both to head home, they realise that they are both leaving from the same station though from different lines so they walk there together. 

Before they enter the station Hide grabs Kaneki’s arm, “This was really fun,” Hide says, biting his lip and not meeting Kaneki’s eye. 

“It was, I had a really good time.”

“Good! I’m glad,” Hide enthuses. “So I was wondering if you wanted you wanted to do this again, maybe dinner?”

“Yeah sure. You know this is kind of embarrassing but I’m not used to having friends I actually hang out with but this was really fun.” 

“Fri- wait what?” Hide stares at Kaneki. 

Kaneki stares back. 

“Oh no,” Hide says. “Shit. Well now who is embarrassed.”

“What do you mean Hide?” Kaneki feels a sinking feeling in his stomach, clearly he’s misunderstood something but he has no idea what. 

“I didn’t ask you out as a friend Kaneki.” Hide says in distress, running a hand through his hair. 

“You didn’t?”

“No,” Hide says miserably, “I asked you out on a date.” 

“A… date? This was a date?”

“Yeah well I thought it was, and thought you thought it was.” 

“I didn’t realise…” Kaneki says quietly. 

“Yeah that’s obvious, sorry I should’ve been more clear. Just pretend this didn’t happen, please don’t say anything at work.” Hide takes a big shaky breath in, “God you’re probably not even gay.” 

“You wanted to go out with me?” Kaneki asks in a shocked voice. 

Hide looks at Kaneki sharply, “Yes Kaneki, you’re really attractive and sweet, I asked you out for a reason, and I also just asked you out on a second date,” Hide rubs the back of his neck. 

Kaneki tries and fails to hide the rapidly growing grin on his face, Hide just looks more and more confused and upset, “Kaneki-” Hide says.

“No one has ever asked me out before.” Kaneki ponders.

He goes on to say, “You’re right, I’m not gay,” and Hide’s face falls for a second before Kaneki adds, “I’m bi, and I’ve thought you were very cute from the moment I saw you.”

“Wait-,” Hide says hopefully. 

“If the offer is still on the table,” Kaneki says, “I would really like to go on a second date.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be careful reading this chapter, the warnings in the tags apply to this chapter. Please look after yourself <3  
> If I have missed any tags that you feel should be on here please let me know.

_ Click. _

“What are you doing?” Hide asks Kaneki in response to the shutter noise he just heard. 

Kaneki sheepishly lowers his camera, “Taking your picture.”

Hide crosses the distance between him and Kaneki, his boyfriend of a few months, in his kitchen where they are both standing. “Don’t you get enough of taking pictures of me at work?”

“Well yeah but it’s not the same. There you’re posing and wearing the clothes they pick out for you and all. Here you’re all relaxed, and just… you.” Kaneki rests one hand on Hide’s hip, “I want to document that too.” 

Hide leans forwards, kissing him sensually, then says “You’re secretly a romantic aren’t you?” 

Kaneki sputters, “No I just- I like taking pictures and it’s nice to take pictures in a relaxed setting instead of in a high pressure environment and-” Hide kisses him again. 

“Relax,” Hide says soothingly, “that wasn’t a negative thing, it’s sweet, I like that you’re romantic. And that you enjoy your job so much you want to do it at home.” Kaneki weakly nods. He sets his camera down on the counter beside them so he can put both hands on Hide. 

“You’re a good model,” Kaneki says softly, “and I don’t just mean that you’re good at posing and such although you are of course,” one of his hands remains on Hide’s hip, the other runs up into Hide’s hair, “I just mean so much emotion always comes through in your body and you’re so beautiful to shoot. You really are so beautiful.” 

Hide takes a deep breath in, eyes staring intently at Kaneki. 

“Thank you,” Hide leans forwards again, capturing Kaneki’s mouth with his for a long kiss. 

Days later Kaneki is leaning against a couch, Hide curled up against his chest. This time they are in Kaneki’s apartment after work. But again it has been a day when Kaneki has taken pictures of Hide’s relaxing. Kaneki is lazily scrolling through the photos he has taken that evening. 

Hide sits up. “You know you can’t share those anywhere right?” he asks, biting his lip. 

“Yeah I know,” Kaneki says, “I would never do anything with them, and I make sure I shoot on a seperate memory card so it won’t get mixed up with my work pictures.” Hide glances down and away, Kaneki doesn’t need to be an expert in body language to know that he is not comforted by what Kaneki has said. “I can… not, if you would prefer. I’m sorry.”

Hide fiddles with his pant leg. “I’m just worried someone is going to find out… about us. As much as I hate it you know how important it is that I stay in the closet,” he makes a face, “I would lose my job right away if they found out I was gay, let alone that I was dating another guy.” Hide sighs, an uncharacteristic frown on his face. 

Kaneki sits forward, “I know, I know I’m sorry.” He picks up his camera, “I’ll delete them all right now if that would help.” 

“No!” Hide frantically places his hands on top of Kaneki’s and his camera, “no please don’t do that. As long as you’re careful it’s fine… and kind of nice, that they exist, it just makes me sad that we can’t be more open.”

“Yeah,” Kaneki frowns, “it makes me sad too. I promise I’ll be really careful.” He shifts his grip so that he can clasp his fingers with Hide’s, “Thank you for letting me take pictures of you.”

Hide hums happily in response, “Anything for you,” he moves the camera to the living room table, “now cuddles again please!” 

Kaneki chuckles, leaning back against the couch and pulling Hide with him. 

~ ~ ~

After work finds them in Hide’s apartment, this time in his bedroom, both of them splayed out along his bed. Hide half on top of Kaneki, one leg hooked over his, pressing down. Kaneki pressing up in response. 

Kaneki reaches a hand up into Hide’s already messy hair, his other running up and down Hide’s back. Hide gasps into Kaneki’s mouth, hands clenching where they rest on either side of his head. 

Hide pushes back, making Kaneki bite back a noise of loss, but soon Kaneki is satiated because Hide adjusts to fully straddle Kaneki, grinding down as he settles. 

“C’mere,” Kaneki gets out, pulling Hide down into a kiss. Hide happily complies, leaning forwards and kissing Kaneki firmly. While at the same time pushing his hands up under Kaneki’s shirt, pushing it up as far as he can. Kaneki twitches and gasps into Hide’s mouth as Hide’s fingers run over his nipples. 

Hide sits back, which brings Kaneki a mixture of displeasure and delight. Hide tugs at Kaneki’s shirt, “Off please.”

Kaneki struggles to comply while still being pinned down, but who is he to disagree with Hide. “Hmmm,” Hide hums appreciatively once Kaneki’s shirt has been thrown to the side, “much better.” He kisses Kaneki again, running his hands up and down Kaneki’s now bare chest. 

Kaneki manages to remember that he too has hands, and puts them on Hide’s hips, running them up under Hide’s shirt just as Hide had done to him. Hide presses down approvingly, with that encouragement Kaneki tugs on the bottom of Hide’s shirt, lifting it up. Hide follows through, lifting it all the way off. 

A sigh huffs out of Kaneki at the sight, a sight just for him that he doesn’t think he will ever get used to, especially from this angle. He wishes he could keep it forever and so he says, “I wish I had my camera right now.”

Hide freezes. “What. Why?”

Kaneki also stills. “Because, because you look so good.” Hide gets up off of Kaneki grabbing his shirt off the floor where it had fallen and tugging it on with trembling hands. Kaneki feels very lost. “Hide?” Hide sits down heavily on the edge of the bed. Kaneki shuffles over to sit beside him. 

Kaneki waits, feeling awkward now that he is shirtless and Hide isn’t. When Hide doesn’t say anything for a few long minutes Kaneki asks again, “Hide? Are you alright?” 

Hide shrugs, a forlorn kind of shrug. He looks over at Kaneki from the corner of his eye, “I’m sorry.” 

“I’m not- what are you sorry for?”

Hide gestures to the bed behind them. 

Kaneki looks, then looks back at where Hide is looking down at his feet, looking smaller than Kaneki has ever seen him. “I don’t actually know what that means,” Kaneki says. 

“I’m sorry for freaking out,” Hide clarifies. 

Kaneki really feels like he should be wearing a shirt, but also isn’t sure if now is the time to look for it. 

“Can I ask what happened? I thought things were good.”

“No, no they were, they were great but then you said you wished you had your camera and I just…” Kaneki can feel his eyes start stinging. 

“I’m sorry!” he hurries to say, “I would never take your picture in a position like that without your permission you’re just really attractive and I was in the moment-”

“Kaneki,” Hide interrupts, “You didn’t do anything wrong.” Kaneki frowns, “You didn’t,” Hide repeats firmly. “I just uh, I have some stuff I should have told you about before now. That would have avoided this probably, it’s not your fault. It’s mine.”

“Hide,” Kaneki says gently. 

Hide continues on as if Kaneki hadn’t spoken, “Do you wanna go sit in the living room and talk? Is that okay?”

“Yes, yes of course Hide. Let me just, find my shirt.”

“If you must,” Hide says with a grin. Kaneki finds his shirt and pulls it on, then holds his hand out to Hide to pull him up and lead him into the living room, where they sit sideways on the couch facing each other. 

Kaneki waits for Hide to begin, but he just looks down at his hands where they rest in his lap. “Hide?” he asks.

“Yeah, yeah sorry.” Kaneki wishes Hide would stop apologizing. Hide takes a deep breath. “This is going to sound silly because of the job I do but… I’m not the most… confident in my body.” 

Kaneki can’t help but frown, “You have a wonderful body.”

Hide looks away. 

“Yeah I realise that and don’t hate me for this but I don’t… like it.” 

“Why would I- why would I hate you for that Hide?” Kaneki watches as Hide’s shoulders go up around his ears. 

“Because you like it so much,” Hide takes another breath, Kaneki can see him physically trying to relax his shoulders. 

Quietly Kaneki says, “It’s not my body though.”

Hide’s shoulders slump, he leans over against the back cushion of the couch, pushing his face into it. When he pulls his face out Kaneki can see that his eyes are damp and Kaneki’s heart aches. 

“I know that I ‘look good’, that I have a ‘good body’, a ‘fit body’. It just doesn’t feel like mine,” Kaneki wants so badly to reach out to him but isn’t sure if that is right. “For work I have to work out so much, and I can barely eat anything, I have to be so specific and restrictive. And I like my job, I like modeling, but they’re so strict there on what you can look like that it’s not fun anymore.”

Kaneki grabs Hide’s hand, he doesn’t know what is right, but he is not leaving Hide alone and without comfort right now, the action makes a tear fall from Hide’s eye. “I just want to be able to eat what I want without thinking about it for once,” not just sadness but anger creeps into Hide’s voice. “And because of that I don’t like this body anymore. I know this super fit, super lean body is supposedly super attractive but I don’t like it. I want to have a little more on me, to not be so damn cold in the winter, not be so bony. And I know you’re one of the people who finds it attractive I’m sor-”

“No,” Kaneki interrupts urgently, “No don’t be sorry. I would find you attractive no matter what. I want you to be able to eat whatever you want too, I want you to be happy. That’s way more important to me than whether or not I can see your abs.” 

At this Hide starts crying in earnest, falling onto Kaneki who hurries to hold him. They shift backwards so Hide is lying along Kaneki, Kaneki holding Hide tight. Hide falls asleep like that once his tears have abated, carefully Kaneki lifts him and carries him to bed, making sure to stay close so that if Hide wakes he will be right there. 

~ ~ ~

Almost always these days Hide and Kaneki are being assigned to work together on shoots. Five months after that first risky shoot where Hide pulled Kaneki in last minute more and more people seem to have noticed how well they work together. How many emotions Kaneki can draw out of Hide just by being behind the camera. 

Kaneki is endlessly grateful that no one has commented on this beyond praising him for his skill in photographing Hide. For complimenting how many perfect shots he has been getting lately. 

Kaneki is nervous to pass along this praise to Hide. Nervous that this will just cause Hide to be even more anxious that someone will discover their secret. A secret that brings Kaneki more joy than he has ever experienced before in his life, even if it must remain secret. 

On one of these days when they are working together one of the senior directors in the company is overseeing the shoot. And Kaneki’s heart breaks when he hears how the director is speaking to one of the models, especially in light of what Hide confessed to him recently. 

“We have standards to uphold you know! Do you really think that you are upholding those standards looking like that?”

“Sir I-” the model who is being berated struggles to speak. 

“And the rest of you!” The director’s attention switches to all of the models, “Don’t think I’m not watching you too!”

“Yes sir!” Hide choruses along with the other models who are there for the shoot.

Every inch of Kaneki bristles, and it takes all of his energy not to blatantly glare at the director as he smugly leaves the room. 

Kaneki isn’t sure that he succeeds in hiding his fury if he is being honest though. 

After following the director out of the room with his just short of glaring eyes Kaneki’s gaze finds Hide again. And finds him talking warmly to the other models. Comforting the one who had been taking the most heat. It is at that moment that Kaneki decides, with more conviction than he’s maybe ever felt before,  _ I’m going to get Hide out of here.  _

~ ~ ~

Of course that is easier said than done. Kaneki has had thoughts, ideas, for what he is going to present to Hide swirling around in his head for years now but having the vague concept for a thing and being able to implement it are two very different things. 

So in his spare time (that he is not spending with Hide) Kaneki gets to work. Researching, and putting together potential business plans and proposals. Trying to stay neat and realistic, but honestly getting more excited and carried away than he expected. This really isn’t just for Hide, this is something he has wanted for quite a while as well. 

Finally after weeks of work and being secretive he has something to approach Hide with, and so he does. One day after dinner Kaneki stands up and clears the table and then says, “Wait here, I have something I want to show you.”

“Kaneki what?”

“Just wait here,” Kaneki says quickly, heading off to his room and bringing back his laptop and the folder he has been gathering together with his plans. 

Hide chuckles, “What’s all this?”

“I have a proposition.”

“Ooh!” Hide says cheekily.

“A business proposition Hide!”

“Oh, ok, continue.” Hide edges his chair closer around the table to Kaneki’s, and bumps shoulders with him making Kaneki blush. 

Kaneki looks down at his papers, trying to remember where he was going to start. He flips open the folder and pulls out some of the papers. 

“Kaneki, what?” Hide says again, this time with awe in his voice.

In front of Hide are a variety of spreadsheets, logos, and photos (many of Hide himself, but of others as well). 

“Right,” Kaneki begins hesitantly, “for years I had this little idea that one day I would start doing photography freelance, instead of for a big company.” Hide’s eyes lift from the papers and fix onto Kaneki. “You know, that way I could have more variety in what I shoot, I like taking pictures of people, and I even like fashion photography,” he sounds even surprised at himself saying that, “but it gets a little boring always being in a studio and not controlling the shoot.”

Hide nods in agreement, slowly reaching out to touch some of the spreadsheets, “What are these?” he asks in a quiet voice. 

“Oh!” Kaneki sits forwards, “Well I realised I knew very little about like functionally being a freelancer so that’s really what I’ve been researching for the past couple weeks. How much it I need to make to make it work and stuff. … And how much I want to save before I quit, of course I’m still under contract for another five months anyways but that’s good because I want to have a good cushion saved.” 

Hide makes a noise of agreement, then clears his throat. “Yeah that makes sense. This is really awesome Kaneki. Really exciting.” 

He smiles at Kaneki, a big smile, but one that doesn’t really reach his eyes. 

Kaneki looks down at the paperwork, wondering what is wrong with it, “You’re not as excited as I thought you’d be.”

“What? No! I’m super excited! I’m just, gonna miss you at work is all. But I don’t want that to stop you from your plans.”

“What.”

“What?”

Kaneki points at the pictures of Hide, “No wait, this idea is for you too.” 

Hide blinks, “I’m so confused. Love, I think maybe you should start from the beginning and explain again.”

And so Kaneki does, “You were the impetus for all of this,” Hide’s cheeks redden, “I wanted to get you out. You said you didn’t like the way you have to treat your body working there, and I,” Kaneki’s voice darkens, “don’t like the way they treat you there.” Hide’s blush deepens. 

“So I got thinking and remembered this thought I had had before, and got all excited about it again.”

“But, I’m not a photographer…” 

“This business plan includes a model, to advertise myself, and you’re pretty well known among a lot of clothing lines, which will give me traction.” 

Hide stares at Kaneki, mouth slightly agape. Kaneki continues, “I’m not going to leave you there alone, at least not for as long as I can help.”

Tears are forming in Hide’s eyes. He clears his throat and wipes his eyes, “I more recently re-signed my contract so I have another ten months to go. But like you said, that gives us time.”

Hide sits forwards, “So, tell me about this plan of yours.”  

Kaneki sits forwards as well, and spreads out the rest of the papers, shuffling them around to figure out where to start. He finds the paper he was looking for and pulls it towards them, when he turns to Hide to explain he finds Hide very close to him. 

“Thank you Kaneki,” Hide says warmly. Kaneki doesn’t know what to say, but is saved by Hide kissing him firmly, “Thank you so much.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this, comments and kudos are always appreciated!! Feels great to be posting again!


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